Scientific literature analysis in neuroscience

Summary

The goal of this course is to learn to analyze a scientific paper critically, question if the data support the conclusions, and produce constructive referee reports in written or oral form. The papers considered will give an overview of the field of developmental neurobiology.

Content

Keywords

critical reading, science writing, neurobiology, development, neuroscience

Learning Prerequisites

Required courses

None in particular, but a good knowledge of basic biology, biochemistry, physics, and bioinformatics is desirable.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, the student must be able to:

• Demonstrate the ability to place the individual research results within the context of the larger field.
• Critique the content of papers and express this analysis in oral and written form
• Synthesize a scientific review narrative demonstrating a deep comprehension of the assigned papers
• Assess / Evaluate a related group of research papers
• Analyze data encountered in literature to check for or extend the conclusions of the original paper

Teaching methods

Lectures to give background information required to choose and read the papers.

Group discussion of papers and their contribution to the larger narrative.

Expected student activities

Oral presentation of papers, individually or in group.

Read background literature to present the paper in the appropriate context.

Prepare a written summary and a critical, constructive assessment of the paper.

Final project to test understanding of material and hands-on ability to interact with the specific data.

Assessment methods

Evaluation of the quality of the written summary and assessment reports. In course assessment of the oral presentations, participation in discussions and final project.

Supervision

Resources

Moodle Link

• https://go.epfl.ch/BIOENG-451